Apparatus for cleaning castings



Dec. 31, 1929. 'w. c. SPECK ET AL APPARATUS FOR CLEANING CASTINGS Filed May 9, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet I N V EN TORJ Q, d ,z. A

F TTORNEYS.

Dec. 31, 1929. w. c. si=EcK ET AL APPARATUS FOR CLEANING CASTINGS Filed May 9, 1927 3 Sheets-Sheet OOOOOO WMFMW M K Patented Dec. 31, 1929 UNIT!) STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM C. SPECK, EUGENE BARKER, ALBERT E WHIPPLE, AND ARTHUR H. DIERKER,

OE COLUMBUS, OHIO, ASSIGNORS TO THE BUCKEYE STEEL CASTINGS COMPANY, OF COLUMBUS, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO APPARATUS FOR CLEANING CASTINGS Application filed ma 9, 1927. Serial No. 189,888.

This invention relates to apparatus for cleaning castings, it particularly relating to apparatus for removing core sand from the interior of hollow castings.

An object of our invention is to provide an apparatus for carrying out the invention which will be simple in construction and effective in operation and which will permit the castings to be handled and cleaned in an economical manner.

A further object of theinvention is to provide apparatus for the purpose described in which the castings may be successively suspended from the apparatus at one point, and be successively carried thereby to a power-operated hammer, and thereafter successively carried to a point of discharge.

A further object of the invention is to provide a method and apparatus whereby the castings may be freely suspended from the apparatus in such a way that the core sand may be loosened and dispelled therefrom by a series of rapid blows from a conventional type of power-operatedhammer.

A further objeotof the invention is to provide an abutment or stop which cooperates with the power hammer. in such a way as to arrest swinging movement of the casting due 7 to the force of the blows of the hammer and cause the castings to rebound into the path of the hammer and to further cooperate with the hammer to jolt the castings and thereby assist in loosening and dispelling the sand.

A further object of the invention is to provide effective means for suspending the casting from the apparatus and automatically discharging the same therefrom after the operation of loosening and dispelling the sand has been accomplished.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an apparatus employed in carrying out our method.

Fig. 2 is a section on the line a a of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a detail in vertical section of a portion of the vertical support and the manner of supporting the hoisting apparatus thereon.

Fig. 4 is a side elevation of a portion of the inner end of the boom of the hoist and one of its bearings.

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of one of the casting hangers.

Fig. 6 is an end elevation of thesame.

Fig. 7 is a vertical section of the casting carrier shown mounted on the central support, the section being on the line b-b of Fig. 2.

Fig. 8 is a detail in elevation of the inner portion of the casting carrier shown mounted on the central support.

Fig. 9 isa section on the line 0-0 of Fig. 1.

The work of removing. core sand from the interior of hollow or'chambered castings by i the methods and means heretofore employed is a laborious one and the general practice has heretofore been to loosen the sand by blows delivered manually, which in large foundries requires the employment of a considerable number of laborers for this special purpose. In order to reduce the labor and expense required for this operation, we have devised a method whereby the sand core may be loosened and dispelled from the casting by an apparatus requiring the service of but few workmen compared to theold methods and which will accomplish the work of removing the sand from the interior of the castings in a more effective manner.

Referring to the drawings: 1 represents a supporting bed on which the apparatus is mounted. Secured to the bed is a cylindrical, upright, tubular support 2. Rotatably mounted upon this support 2 at a suitable distance above the base is a supporting carrier for the castings constructed as follows: 3 represents the hub of a spider-like structure formed in the present case with a series of four equally spaced radially-extending arms 4 projecting from the lower portion of the hub and connected therewith for strengthening purposes by integral webs 5. The hub 3 is loosely placed upon the tubular support 2 and is supported by a collar 6 fastened to the support, with ball bearings 7 preferably interposed between the collar and hub. Each arm 24 carries a rock shaft 8, the arm being provided with suitable bearings 9 in which the shaft is journaled. The shaft is disposed in the direction of the length of the arm and to a collar 10 which in turn is secured to the shaft. The inner end of the shaft has secured thereto a laterally projecting foot 11 the free end of which is bifurcated to receive a roller 12, journaled on the pintle 13 and running upon a circular track 14 formed by an integral flange projecting from the collar 6. This track 14 has at one point thereof a depression 15as shown best in Fig. 8. The finger 10 and foot 11 are so disposed that when the roller 12 is on the high part of the track 14 the finger lies in a horizontal position, but when the roller drops into the recess 15 the shaft is permitted to rock and the finger allowed to tilt downwardly. For each arm 10 there is provided a hanger in the form of an S-shaped hook 16 (Figs. 5 and 6), the lower portion'of which is .preferably bifurcated. Associated with each finger 10 is a keeper in the form of a bent rod 17 which is secured to the web 5 with its free end projected to a point coincident with the outer end of the finger 10 when said arm is in horizontal position. The upper end of the hub 3 has a flange which is provided with a series of notches 18, one for each arm 4 with which cooperates a pivoted latch 19 which is operated by a cable 20 attached thereto and passing about a pulley 21 located on the support 2 and thence about another pulley (not shown) on the upright support 22 projecting upwardly from the base.

Mounted for swinging movement on the support 2 above the casting carrier is the boom of a crane, formed of two spaced-apart I-beams, one of which is shown at 23, having mounted thereon a pair of rails, one of which isindicated at 24, upon which travels a carriage 25 upon whichis supported a cylinder 26 having a piston operated preferably by air pressure, to the lower end of which is attached a hook 28. The beams 23 are connected at their inner ends to a bearing sleeve 29 rotatably mounted upon the support 2, with roller bearings 30 preferably interposed. This sleeve 29 is suspended by rods 31 from a bearing head 32 mounted to rotate upon the upper end of a stationary spindle 33 with interposed roller bearings 34; the spindle being rigidly connected with the flanged plug or head 35 which finds a support in the upper end of the supporting column 2. Brace rods 36 connect the head 32 with the outer end of the beams 23.

Located on the main bed 1, is a supporting base 37 for a cylinder 38 of a power-operated hammer; the cylinder being clamped to the base by encircling-straps '37 to secure its correct positioning thereon. The cylinder has a piston which is operated by fluid pressure, preferably compressed air, and the piston rod 39 has an integral head 39 at its outer end to form a hammer which has a uniform throw. Also mounted upon the main base 1 in: line with the hammer is an abutment or anvil 40 formed with an inclined convex face 40.

The main base 1 is preferably formed of two connected I-beams as shown in Fig. 9 and between these members just beneath the forward faceof the anvil is an inclined chute 41 which leads to an inclined spout 42 having an adjustable lower section 43 which discharges into a bucket or other container 44.

In carrying out our'improved method the apparatus is operated as follows: The castings to be cleaned, which in the present case are car couplers, one of which is indicated at C in Fig. 1, arehung by the hangers 16 to the fingers 10, the castings being hung on the fingers when the reach the position occuplied by the one at t 1e top of Fig. 2, or at the left in the same figure. The casting is hoisted to position for the purpose of booking it on the hanger 16 by the crane. The casting carrier is then rotated manually to bring the casting to the position shown in Fig. 1 in which it will be seen that its lower end hangs freely between the head 39 of the hammer and the face of the abutment 40. The power hammer is then operated to impart a series of rapid blows upon the casting, the abutment 40 acting as a stop to arrest the Swinging movement of the casting and cause it to rebound back into the path of the hammer, and also cooperating with the hammer to jar the casting. By this action the casting is violently jarred by the blows of the hammer and its impact upon the abutment which loosens andfrees the adhering sand on the interior thereof and causes the sand to be dispelled and drop upon the inclined chute 41, the sand being carried by the inclined spout sections 42 and 43 to the bucket, or other container. During the time the cast ing is being'operated upon, the carrier is held in stationary position by the latch 19, and the hanger which suspends the casting is being retained on the finger 10 by the keeper 17. After the casting has been freed from adhering sand the latch is released and the carriage rotated to bring'the next casting in position before the hammer. When the roller of the rock shaft upon which the cleaned casting is hung drops into the recess 15 the weight of the casting rocks the shaft to bring the pin to the inclined position shown in Fig. 8 which allows the hanger to clear the keeper and the cleaned casting to be discharged and fall to the fioor.

The fixed abutment 40 and the head of the hammer are so positioned that a space greater than the thickness of the casting will exist between those parts when the hammer is at the extreme limit of its throw. This results in an arrangement whereby a hammer of the conventional character may be employed, that is, a hammer which moves to the same proportionate extent as the piston which drives it, so that it will be unnecessary to provide buffer springs or other compensating devices either in the hammer or in the abutment.

Having thus described our invention, we claim:

1. In an apparatus for freeing castings from sand, means for freely suspending a casting for oscillatory movement, a poweroperated hammer, and an abutment in line with said hammer, said hammer and abutment being located relatively to said suspension means such that a portion of said casting hanging below said suspension means is freely suspended between said hammer and abutment, said hammer being arranged to deliver blows on said casting in the general direction of the oscillatory movement thereof.

2. In an apparatus for freeing castings from sand, means for .suspending a casting for oscillatory movement, a power-operated hammer, and a fixed abutment in line with said hammer, said hammer and abutment being located below said suspension means with a portion of the casting hanging freely between the same, said hammer being arranged to deliver blows on said casting in the general direction of the oscillatory movement thereof.

3. In an apparatus for freeing castings from sand, a power-operated hammer, a carrier, and means for suspending a casting from said carrier, said hammer being supported independently of said carrier and suspension means, said carrier being movable so as to position the casting in the path of said hammer.

4. In an apparatus for freeing castings from sand, a power-operated hammer, an abutment in line with said hammer, a carrier, and means for suspending a casting from said carrier, said carrier being rotatable so as to position said casting between said hammer and abutment.

5. In an apparatus for freeing castings from sand, a power-operated hammer located in a fixed position, a. rotatable carrier, means for suspending a casting from said carrier whereby said casting can be conveyed into operative relation with said hammer, and means for automatically discharging said casting from said carrier at another point in the rotation thereof.

6. In an apparatus for freeing castings from sand, a power-operated hammer located at a fixed point, an abutment in line with said hammer, a rotatable carrier, means for suspending a casting from said carrier whereby rotation of said carrier will bring said casting between said hammer and abutment, and means for automatically discharging said casting from said carrier by further rotation of said carrier.

7. In an apparatus for freeing castings from sand, a power-operated hammer located at a fixed point, a fixed abutment located in line with said hammer, a movable carrier, and means for freely connecting one end of a casting to said carrier to permit Said casting to hang downwardly for oscillatory movement, said carrier being movable to bring the free end of said casting between said hammer and abutment, the distance between said abutment and said hammer when at the limit of its striking movement being greater than the thickness of the casting at that point.

8. In an apparatus for freeing castings from sand, a power-operated hammer, a rotatable carrier, mechanism for suspending a casting from said carrier including a rock shaft, a laterally projecting member connected therewith to receive the casting, means for holding said shaft against rotation to maintain said member in horizontal position during the major portion of the rotation of said carrier, and means at one point in the revolution thereof to permit rocking of said shaft.

9. In an apparatus for freeing castings from sand, a power-operated hammer, a rotatable carrier, a plurality of devices on said carrier for suspending castings therefrom, each device comprising a rock shaft, a laterally projecting finger thereon to receive the casting, a laterally-proj ecting foot connected with said shaft, a circular support for said foot to maintain said finger in horizontal position during the major portion of the rotation of said carrier, and a depression in said support to permit rocking of said shaft to discharge the casting.

10. In an apparatus for freeing castings from sand, a power-operated hammer, a revoluble support for a casting,and a hanger arranged for detachable connection with both the support and casting, together with means for discharging the hanger and casting from said support at a point removed from said hammer.

11. In an apparatus for freeing castings from sand, a power-operated hammer, a rotatable carrier, a tiltable normally-horizontal finger on said carrier providing a support for a casting, together with means for preventing said finger from tilting during the major portion of the revolution of said carrier but permitting it to tilt at one point in the revolution thereof, and a fixed keeper on said carrier cooperating with the free end of said finger when in its horizontal position to maintain said casting on said finger.

12. In an apparatus for freeing castings from sand, a power-operated hammer, a rotatable casting carrier to position castings in operative relation with said hammer, and means for releasably locking said carrier during the operation of said hammer upon said casting.

13. In an apparatus for freeing castings from sand, means for freely suspending a casting for oscillatory movement, a power operated hammer having a reciprocatory hammer member located at a point relatively to said suspension means to bring a portion of the casting below said suspension means in line with the hammer member, and an abutment for said casting in line with said hammer member, said hammer member and abutment being on opposite sides of the space 0ceupied by said casting.

In testimony whereof, we have hereunto set our hands this 29th day of April, 1927.

WILLIAM C. SPECK. EUGENE BARKER. ARTHUR H. DIERKER. ALBERT E. WHIPPLE. 

